Ladder



April 2, 1935. F. WHITE 1,996,133 l LADDER Filed Dec. 26, 1933 k 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

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iatentecl Apr. 2, 1935 ,-z U IT STATES PATENT. OFFICE;

' '1 t 1,996,133 f t' p I LADDER/j V i rm' k' White, Bloomfield, N. J.

' Application December 26,1933, Serial No. 703,915

.ie'oiaiinsb (01.228-25) J' lM'y' invention relates to ladders and moreparticularly to improvements in ladders of fthe so- Call'ed.-oonvertible type,

Generally speaking the prineipal object of my finventionis to provide aSectional ladder of novel v and improved. construction which may bereadily converted into either a step ladder or an extension ladder asdesiredl Y 1' 1 Specifically my inventionis directed toward providing aladder i'ncludingcomplernental step and rung sections, respectively, andequipped with novel and improved efiicientinexpensivameans for couplingthe sections together sojthat they may be either; swung into angularrelation and .locked against both separative andrelativelongitudinalmovement to form a stepladde'nor, slid I longitudinally ofeach other to different; positions and locked together ins'uchpos'ition's toform an extension ladder variable in height.

Other objects will appear from the following description of a preferredembodiment of my invention which has been illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings in which corresponding and like parts aredesignated throughout the several views by the same'referencecharacters,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the sections swung into.angular locked relation to convert them into a step ladder,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in side elevation of the upperends of the sections related as in Figure l and showing in dotted linesthe rung sections arranged to form an extension ladder,

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure2, v

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the sections converted intoan extensionladder,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of a pair of brackets forming partof the before-mentioned coupling means, and

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation illustrating the sections collapsedand locked as when not in use.

Specifically describing the invention,and first considering theinvention in its stepladder aspect, the numeral I designates thestepladder section and 2 the rung section, the former comprising sidestiles 3 and equidistantly spacedsteps 4 and the latter having similarstiles 5 andsimi- V larly spaced rungs or rounds 6. The sections arearranged in juxtaposed relation, and the inner or adjacent edges of thestiles 3 and 5 are beveled longitudinal1y at their upper ends, asat' I,to permit the ends of the sections'tobe closely dis- .minate in inwardlyprojecting hooked ends II adapted'tospan the rear edges of the stiles 5of section? ,and upon which either or bothQs ections I and 2 may fulcrumwhen relatively swung, said hooked ends also serving to guide thesections' I and -2'in their relative longitudinaljslid- "ing' movement."Upstanding rearwardlygopening I I hooks I2 are provided on the upperedges of the brackets 9 to receive studs I3 projecting laterally throughthe upper ends of the stiles 5from plates I 4 secured as by screws I5tosaid stiles. The arrangement of the hooked ends II, the hooks I2, andthe 'studs- I3 is such that the sections I and 2 may be swung away fromeach other into angular relation with'their. upper ends juxtaposed toform a step ladder, such swinging movement positioning the studs I3 inthe hooks I2 and the rear edges of the stiles 5 against the hooked endsI I. 3 In this position of the parts said hooked ends I I, hooks I2 andstuds I3 form in effect looking means preventing further separative andalso relative longitudinal movements of the sections I and 2. Byswinging the sections I and Ztoward each other into substantialparallelism the studs I3 are withdrawn from the hooks I2, as illustratedin Figure 4 and said sections are unlockedforr relative longitudinalmovementto form an extension ladder. If desired the hooks I2 may bedupli-I cated on the lower edge of the brackets 9 so that the latter areinterchangeable. The bights of the hooksd portions II are each formedwith two ope positely inclined faces I6 and I], respecively,-pro- Ividing convex bearing ridges I8 for facilitating 4 5' swingingmovementof the sections I and 2. The A faces I6 are inclined in theplane of the rear edges of the stiles 5 when the sections I and 2 areangu-f larly related to form a stepladder' whereas the faces I! areinclined in the plane of said-edges when the sections I and 2 areparallel The advantage of the inclined faces I6,and I I is that theyafford bearing surfaces sufliciently extensive to prevent the hookedends I I from biting into the stiles 5 in the different positions of thelatter and thereby facilitate sliding movement of the sections .1 and 2.

The upper edges of the brackets 9 provide substantially straight,uninterrupted tracks between the hooks I l and I2 uponwhich the section2 may be suspendedrfor sliding movement as .will be clear. Hencebymerely tilting the section 'I so that the section 2' is insuspendedposition the latter may be caused to gravitate rearwardly to withdrawthe studs l3from the hooks I 2, the beveled ends '1 ofsaid sectionspivoting on each other at the lower corners of said bevels, whereby theStuds l 3 are caused to swing in an are about said corners therebypositively withdrawing said tud from the hooks l2 I Referring now tonovel ladder in its extension as'pect as best shown in. Figure 5, thesections land 2 are-adjustable longitudinally to vary'the the'spacing ofthe steps; 4 of the section To 4, of the section i and into which the'hook member may be inserted when the sections have .When,:the ladderislnot in use thefsec'tions l j and may be collapsed by sliding andswinging 30 emitogether, andmaybe locked in suchconditionfas hown inFigure 7'." j i orgoin' c ns itutes a de eside cr ption of apreferred'iembodiment of my invention but it isito be understood thatright is herein re- ;served .to changes and modifications fallin'gfairly Within the scope of the appended claims when V v they areconstrued in the lightof the prior art. I describedmy invention',.what-IV in ai i=.

7 I-Iawing v thus 1. As an article of manufacture, a bracket having theform of a substantially ovoid'frame includof said brackets forreceivin'g'said studs in the angu a at n, so 'se t f stud ce -r 7 inghooks opening irearwamiya me upperedges tomatically guidesaidstudsintoiand out or;

ing, apair of hooks outstanding from opposite side edges thereof,respectively, and having a hooked end, the bight of the hooked end beingformed with oppositely inclined flat facescon-x verging into a'convexridge. 2. A ladder including step and leg sections, respectively, andmeans for coupling said sections in angular stepladder relation andcomprising, apair'of brackets projecting rearwardly'irom opposite sidesof the step section and receiving the leg section, therebetween, a pairof studs projectlaterally fromv opposite sides of the leg section tooverlie said brackets and suspend the leg section therefrom, inwardlyprojecting forwardly openingihooksat the-rear ends of said brackets forsurrounding the'rear edges of said leg section, and hooks upstanding:Irom the upper'edges of said brackets, being substantially straightlyewee d h a 1 8 pe l s'endfi ks oaw' hoo s resne tive yjup n re at emow- V ment of said ladder sections in opposite titans, whereby the leg.section when suspended v e from said upper edgesiofsaid-hrackets in srelation tosaidstep section willbecaused tograv- I itate m mmalian saidbrackets. and withdraw the studs from said-hooks v upon tilting ofithestepj section toivertical position while movementiojf said sectionstoward angular relation willgjcmaise I aidu s lid an sa d, ubp e s @i, h

. bracket into said hooks,

